


Delusional With Love

by macmcdonald



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Alcohol, Drugs, M/M, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-08
Packaged: 2018-05-10 23:24:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5604850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/macmcdonald/pseuds/macmcdonald
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nothing comes between the dynamic duo, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. drown me out

Mac glanced up at his friend across the bar. He was careful not to hold his stare for too long, aware that his childhood best friend was sat to his right. Mac had known Charlie since they were toddlers, maybe even younger. Charlie was a constant in Mac’s life. He was there to carry him home on the nights where they drank a little too much, or when the glue that they huffed became overwhelming. He was there to hold the younger boy when he would cry about his father; he was there when Mac needed someone. Mac knew this, always. They had an unspoken bond that, really, no one could get in the way of. Charlie was Mac’s brother since the beginning. 

Charlie was a short guy. He was also pretty dirty, but the gang was used to his scent by now. He only owned about 2 outfits at most, and always looked a mess. Messy hair, scruffy, and smelly: That was Charlie. But Charlie also had one of the biggest hearts that Mac had ever encountered, even if he could be a little apathetic. But then again, who couldn't be? 

“That is a stupid idea, Charlie.” Dennis, the friend across the bar mentioned earlier, laughed. 

“It is not! Mac, back me up on this!” Charlie nudged Mac on the arm.

“Sorry, I kind of zoned out. What’s the idea?” 

Dennis and Charlie glance at Mac silently for a moment, but quickly brush it off to yell about the current problem. Until they notice the dark haired man back in his daydream. 

“Mac, seriously, I probably will regret asking this, but what is your problem?” Dennis questions. 

Charlie rolls his eyes but waits for Mac to respond. 

“What? Nothing. Why would you think there is a problem?” It’s only in Mac’s nature to get defensive easily. 

“C’mon, man. You’ve been acting weird all day.” Charlie sighs. 

“It’s nothing.” Mac ignores the glares of his friends. 

Dennis is the oldest and, in Mac’s opinion, the most attractive (besides himself of course). 

As teenagers, Mac would tell Charlie that Dennis is “a straight up beef-cake!”, but in all honesty, Charlie couldn’t have cared less. Mac would usually just ramble on and on about Dennis, while Charlie would hide his eyerolls- because who says that Dennis is cooler than Charlie? Mac’s actual best friend? It still makes Charlie bitter, but he keeps it to himself because he doesn’t want to hurt Mac. 

Mac shakes himself out of his thoughts, “You know guys, I’m just gonna head home. I need some sleep.” 

“Alright, man.” Charlie gives his best friend a sympathetic look before watching Mac turn towards the door and walk out of the bar. 

Mac is alone for about 10 minutes with just his thoughts for the walk back to Dennis’s apartment in South Philly. The alcohol numbs him from the winter air, but keeps him buzzing on the inside. All he can think about is sleep. 

It’s nearing 11:30 p.m. when Dennis opens the door to his apartment, only to find his best friend lying drunk on the floor of the living room. He had been letting Mac stay with him for the past few weeks because of a harsh breakup he was going through. Mac was always super in touch with his emotions, even though he put on a “tough guy” persona. 

Dennis approached his roommate, crouching down to wake him up. 

“Hey buddy, let’s get you to bed, huh?” Dennis shook Mac lightly. 

Mac pushed his eyebrows together and squeezed his eyes shut tightly. 

“What time is it?” the younger of the two questioned. 

“About 11:30 at night. You’ve only been here for like 2 hours, bro. Why are you drunk?” Dennis fidgets with the loose string on the hem of his shirt. 

“Why not?” Mac, once again, allowing his passive aggressiveness and sensitivity get the best of him. He only had like 3 or 4 drinks after walking through that front door. Maybe 5. 

Dennis rolled his eyes, making sure Mac could see how annoyed he was. 

“I’m letting you stay in my apartment, the least you could do is not be an asshole.” 

Mac stifled a laugh and managed to raise his body to a sitting position on the floor, leaning against the front of the couch. 

“You gonna be okay?” Dennis asked.

“Yeah. Since when is everyone so concerned about me?” Mac raised his eyebrows in that way that annoyed Dennis. Yeah, definitely annoyed him. 

They locked eyes for a few moments before Mac let out a sigh.

“I’m fine. I wish you guys would s-stop worrying.” He was still drunk, stumbling over words, and had the worst breath Dennis could ever imagine a person having. But he still felt his heart ache at Mac’s words. 

Mac had such a puppy-dog look. He had these big brown eyes that even made Dennis break. And trust me, Dennis was not very breakable. 

“Never thought that the Sheriff of Paddy's could pull off such a pathetic look.” He joked, trying to break the tension.

Dennis hated showing emotion, mostly because he was barely capable of it. The worst part of Mac living in Dennis's apartment was how much Mac felt. About everything. He got excited, distracted, sad, and excited in the matter of seconds. It frustrated Dennis because he usually felt nothing, and he liked it that way. No strings attached was the Dennis Reynolds way. 

But he also knew that his best friend was familiar with abandonment and loneliness. He knew that he could be the cause of that extreme range of feelings, but it could mostly be blamed on his shitty childhood. 

“You know Dennis… I didn’t even like her that much.” Mac whispers, keeping his eyes glued on the floor. 

“What do you mean?” Mac had been broken up for almost 3 weeks. He couldn’t be serious.

“I just.. I don’t know. You probably think I’m crazy.” Mac’s dark hair had a slight quiff to it, but Dennis knew it was just his natural bed head. Dennis much preferred it over the "slicked back hair- Mr. Mac" look. 

“Bro, you are the craziest person I've ever met, but in a bad-ass way for sure. ” 

Mac glanced up at Dennis and smirked slightly. 

“Well, she was a great person! I just didn’t feel anything. I only stayed with her as long as I did because it’s so pathetic for a 22 year old man to not have someone!” 

The words came out faster than he expected. He always had a problem with that. He stuttered and struggled to find the words to say, especially in front of Dennis. He was so much smarter and cooler in Mac’s eyes.

“It is not pathetic, first of all,” Dennis brushed off the slight jab because he knew it wasn’t aimed at him. “Second of all, Mac, why would you stay in a relationship where you weren’t happy? She must have been a quality lay.” 

Mac cringed slightly, but recovered before his friend could see. 

“…Yeah, I guess.” 

Dennis could feel the change in the atmosphere, though. He decided not to act on it.

“How about we go to bed? You’re fine with the couch...or would you rather bunk with me?” Dennis offered. He knew Mac hated sleeping alone. 

“Maybe I’ll sleep in your bed tonight?” He looked up at Dennis with those puppy-dog eyes. Yeah, Dennis thought, they definitely were annoying. 

“Sure, bud. You good to walk?” Dennis lifted himself off the couch and offered his hand to Mac. 

“No, I’m fine.” Mac started to blush, but quickly stopped himself from thinking about Dennis with his arms around him, carrying him to bed. He needed these thoughts to stop. He was already going to hell, he thought, so what's stopping him?

Mac stood up lazily. He felt lightheaded from the alcohol, or maybe it was the thought of sleeping in a bed with Dennis.

“Are you sure you’re comfortable with this, Den?” 

“C’mon man, it’s just me. I’d do anything for you.” Dennis gave Mac a reassuring smile.

“You’re only saying that because I won’t remember it in the morning.” Mac rolls his eyes while staggering against the wall to keep his balance. 

“Yeah, you’re right.” 

Mac watches Dennis change from his jeans to pajama bottoms and his button up shirt to one of Mac’s old cut off shirts. 

“You want to borrow something to wear to bed?” Dennis glances to the other side of the room where Mac is sat on the edge of the bed. 

“No, it’s fine.” Mac could only imagine what he looked like: messy hair, glossy eyes, pink cheeks, a little too much scruff. Drunk was his worst look.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is in Dennis's POV because i want to give all the characters a chance to explain what they are feeling :~)  
> (sorry it's so short!)

Drunk was his best look. I could try to convince myself that it wasn’t, but I’d be lying. His hair looked so much better when it wasn’t slicked back. His eyes were bigger. God, how was that even possible? His lips were slightly swollen, not sure why, but it made the look just as good. 

“Are you almost done, I feel like I’m going to pass out any second now.” Mac’s eyelashes fluttered.

Mac wasn’t even drunk anymore, but I’ll let him play his games. He still had the drunk look, he was still slightly buzzing, and he was still in love with me. 

I’ve known for a very long time. Charlie knows too, but that’s only because Mac told him. You know, if I didn’t know any better, I would assume Mac was in love with Charlie. They are constantly together, and they are almost equally as stupid. What a pair. I’ve known since high school that Mac wasn’t straight. That doesn’t bother me at all, and neither does the fact that he wants me. It’s quite endearing, really. The only problem is Mac thinks I’m straight. He thinks he has no chance. So, maybe I don’t want a romantic aspect of this. I’ve never been the type. That doesn’t mean we can’t be friends with benefits, right?

But, Dee did tell me not to fuck around with his feelings. I really shouldn’t. Then again, what does she know? She’s never right, and I can’t help myself. What I want, I always get, even if he was my best friend. 

Nothing comes between the dynamic duo, right?

I do care for Mac, really. Even though, sometimes, he strikes a nerve to the point that I didn’t know possible. Me and him, we are honey and vinegar; though, I wouldn’t necessary describe myself as too sweet.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a little bit of young charliemac flashbacks bc im trash (p.s. thank you for reading! this is the first fic ive ever made and im excited about it)

Dennis got into bed next to Mac, leaving a reasonable distance between them. Mac’s breathing was steady. Dennis glanced over to his friend on his left before switching to his right side and distancing off into a daze. 

Just as Dennis felt sleep approaching him, he felt an arm around his waist. Mac had moved closer to him now, resting his head into the back of Dennis’s neck. 

“Okay,” Dennis whispered, careful not to move just incase this was just some weird thing Mac did in his sleep.

“Sorry, Den, just needed a hug,” Mac whispered back. He went to move his arm off Dennis, but Dennis grabbed it and set it back down on his hip.

“Don’t worry, man. It’s just us.” Dennis whispered and Mac relaxed. The room was silent, except the sound of rain beginning to pour outside the apartment. 

Mac felt warmth. He wasn’t sure if he was still buzzing from earlier or the idea of Dennis agreeing to let Mac hold him. 

Mac imagined this is what a roller coaster would feel like: the anxiety before the drop, the sudden realization that everything is okay. Though, he wouldn’t know. When they were kids, Mac and Charlie would sometimes sit with Dennis while he packed his bags to go to The Jersey Shore. He would tell them about it: the rides, the girls, the ocean. To the poor boys, it sounded like heaven. Neither had ever left Pennsylvania, let alone Philadelphia. Dennis was so great at explaining things, so Mac was fairly sure that he knew exactly what riding a rollercoaster would feel like. 

The weeks that Dennis would leave for Jersey Shore were the worst for Mac. Even when Dennis is gone for a few hours, he starts to get the feeling again. But Dennis checks in with Mac because he knows how anxious he gets. 

Mac was still awake, nervous that Dennis could hear how hard his heart was beating. He had to, Mac thought. Dennis had drifted off to sleep, leaving Mac to count his slow, steady breaths. 

Mac felt safe for the first time in a long time. 

He remembers the safest he felt when he was a teenager, running to Charlie’s at 12:30 on a school night to get away from all the screaming at his own home. Mrs. Kelly never questioned why she would find her son cuddled up to the troublemaking neighbor some mornings. 

Mac remembers a few moments in particular with Charlie from those nights.  
“Parents are stupid, man. You don’t need them, and you already live here anyway. My mom loves you.” Charlie passed Mac the glue.  
“I don’t live here, Charlie.” Mac rolled his eyes, but raised the bag to his nose anyway. It may be 4:30 a.m., they may have school in 2 hours, but what’s the difference? They would still be Ronnie the Rat and Dirtgrub, so they might as well live up to the names.  
“Well, it would be pretty cool if you did!” Charlie exclaimed, making Mac laugh.  
"Yeah, you're right. That would be pretty cool... maybe someday." Mac trailed off, noticing the smaller boy's eyes closed. Charlie could truly fall asleep in any position, at any time, and Mac loved that about him.

 

Those were better times, well at least easier. Mac knew he shouldn't miss his childhood, but he couldn't help it. He kind of hated being an adult, even if he was just starting out. He missed having control over his feelings, or at least thinking he did. 

He could still hear the sound of the rain hitting the roof of the apartment, which almost drowned out the sound of Dennis's steady breathing. 

Mac’s thoughts drifted back to the small frame of Dennis under his arm. Dennis was not quite beefcake material after all, but that was fine with Mac.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is kind of weak bc im a little stressed abt finals at school! next chapter will be better, hopefully.

'I’m not gay', Mac thinks to himself, 'I admire beefcakes because they have super awesome muscles! Though, Dennis isn’t a beefcake and I like to admire him, too. He is the only exception. He makes up for his lack of bi’s, tri’s, and pecks with his blue eyes and nice hair. Damn, I hope God can’t hear my thoughts right now because that totally sounded gay, which I’m not. Yeah. '

But it did take all the courage in the world for Mac to put his arm around Dennis last night. And maybe it stung a little when he woke up alone, but that’s okay. The clock says it’s only eight in the morning, but Dennis broke it a few weeks ago when he was trying to explain to Charlie how to set an alarm clock. That wasn’t a pretty sight. Mac's head is pounding and he is still feeling pretty groggy. 'Maybe Dennis went out to get breakfast?’ Mac thought, 'Yeah, he probably did. He’s so great.’

The sound of the apartment door squeaking open shook Mac out of his daydream. 

“Dennis?” Mac called out. 

“Nah, man. It’s just me.” Charlie stepped into Dennis’s room. 

His small body was still covered in the same clothes he had on yesterday, including that old army jacket he stole from Mac when they were teenagers.

“Oh, hey.” Mac greeted his friend, but only got a confused facial expression in response.

“Oh, uh, I just came in here after Dennis left because, uh, the couch was uncomfortable and-“ 

“Yeah, dude. Don’t even try explaining that one to me because I don’t care,” Charlie shrugged, picking up one of Dennis’s books off the dresser. 

“Anyway,” Mac's voice shook nervously “why are you here?” 

What if Charlie thought he slept with Dennis or something?

The question came out meaner than he intended, but maybe it would make Charlie leave so Mac could stop shaking. 

“Just came to see if you wanted to go get something to eat,” Charlie trailed off, focusing on the cover of the book.

Frustrated, he set it back down and glanced back at his friend, still laying in bed. 

It was silent for a few moments before Charlie broke the silence.

“So…” He had his hands dipped into his jeans’ pockets, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. 

“Yeah, just give me a few minutes to get ready,” Mac nervously glanced around before uncovering himself and standing up to stretch. 

Mac hadn’t showered or brushed his teeth, but neither did Charlie, so who cares? At least they could be gross together. 

Together, the two of them had a total of $22.50. Charlie contributed the 50 cents.  
That was expected, but Mac didn’t mind. 

They walked in silence down the streets of South Philly passing their childhood homes. They were going to their favorite coffeeshop, which was about two blocks away from their high school. They would steal out of trucks unloading alcohol to the bar next to it during their lunch break. They always ended up skipping the rest of the school day to sit in Charlie’s room getting drunk. 

“So, how are you doing?” Mac decided to break the silence.  
“Hm,” Charlie sighed, “things aren’t too great between me and the waitress, you know?”  
Mac rolled his eyes, “Yeah, dude, I know! She can’t stand you. You need to stop stalking her.”  
“I’m not stalking her! I just- uh,” He sounded defeated, so Mac decided to leave it alone. After all, they would have to face her in about 5 minutes at the coffeeshop.  
“So, what’s going on with you,” Charlie asked, his voice raising slightly as he spoke.  
“Uh, nothing really. Same old shit,” Mac began to zone out, he tends to do that. He can't help it though. Everything seemed to fascinate his brain.  
“So, you and Dennis, huh?” Charlie blurted out.  
“What?”  
“Mac, I didn’t want to bring it up, but…” Charlie reached up to fix his hair, meaning they were approaching the coffeeshop.  
“I don’t know what you are talking about, dude.” Mac laughed, but felt his face burning. It was definitely from the cold air, Mac thought.  
“Okay, whenever you are ready to talk about it, let me know.” Charlie glanced at Mac before reaching for the door and walking into the shop, leaving Mac to calm himself down in the street.


End file.
